You really are going to have to back that up as I've never seen anything that says this before your post.

AJATT made me feel like I'm in the wrong country/society.

I guess that's what happens when you pay 0 attention to the culture around you.

As this is, I believe, the third thread in a week that is essentially about depression and/or being depressed...

It's AUTUMN right now (aka, 秋)

The days are getting shorter, and a lack of sunlight affects many people - especially those who are chronically depressed and/or who are very sensitive to the changes in light.

The best way to fight -seasonal- depression is to get enough real sunlight, as early as possible in the day.

You don't have to run until you're out of breath, on or off a treadmill. You don't even have to walk - it's great if you can, but on a chilly autumn morning, maybe you can't. Just get outside and look at the sky or the skyline for 10 minutes as early in the day as possible. Sit on the porch steps with a cup of (favorite hot beverage). Even if you live in an apartment. Heck with the neighbors if they don't like it anyway, it's your mental health that's the priority here.

For those who are too sensitive to the cold or to depressed to actually step outside shortly after getting up, there are light boxes that provide pretty good (medically effective) imitation sunlight to get you going. Possibly good to have anyway in case of cloudy days and also to get light that much sooner.

Of course exercise is also effective, although I find the OP's description of medically effective aerobic exercise to be suspicious. While I'm aware there are studies showing that (light, aerobic) exercise helps, I'm also aware that there are studies showing that heavy, anaerobic exercise is detrimental. I'm not aware of any study showing or even attempting to show that exercise -alone- is an ideal treatment.

If you have medical care, of course the best way to deal with medical depression - chronic or seasonal - is to work with your doctor on a treatment plan. Getting a chart of your vitamin deficiencies can help (B's and D are common factors, IIRC), antidepressants can help, many other things can help.

The people posting here may be many things, but they are not doctors.

(Yep, that includes me! Everything I'm saying is second-hand related from my doctor, pamphlets in my doctor's office, or Science Friday on NPR.)

leosmith wrote:

wccrawford wrote:

You really are going to have to back that up as I've never seen anything that says this before your post.

dizmox wrote:

AJATT made me feel like I'm in the wrong country/society.
I guess that's what happens when you pay 0 attention to the culture around you.

This is one of the things it does that can be harmful to those who are susceptible to depression. Isolation is not a good thing.

Not depressed, and I was isolated to begin with, it just made me want to emigrate lol. Should achieve that next year at least for a couple of years~

Last edited by dizmox (2011 November 21, 12:17 pm)

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

It's AUTUMN right now (aka, 秋)

Maybe in *your* miserable hemisphere... Here, the birds are chirping and the world is full of life!

Seriously though, there are two kinds of depression. They are "depression" and DEPRESSION. It's great if you have the former and find simple environment fixes that make you feel better, but do remember that there is another form that can't be treated so easily. The ones who, before the advent of drugs, were either suicide cases or institutionalised.

Edit: the second part wasn't directed at you specifically SomeCallMeChris, i've just noticed more than a few people on this forum who seem to think depression is a minor problem, easily solved.

Last edited by zigmonty (2011 November 21, 1:29 pm)

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

Of course exercise is also effective, although I find the OP's description of medically effective aerobic exercise to be suspicious. While I'm aware there are studies showing that (light, aerobic) exercise helps, I'm also aware that there are studies showing that heavy, anaerobic exercise is detrimental. I'm not aware of any study showing or even attempting to show that exercise -alone- is an ideal treatment.

Such studies exist. Here is a very small sample of articles on the effect of exercise regarding depression. Please do not underplay it's importance.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depres … se/MH00043
http://www.healthhabits.ca/2010/04/06/a … epression/
http://news.menshealth.com/the-drug-fre … 011/08/30/
http://www.cure-your-depression.com/dep … rcise.html

dtcamero wrote:

AJATT actually makes me feel quite happy... alleviates depression for me.

Do you bathe regularly? Meet with and talk to people often? Exercise? Do you consider yourself easily susceptible to depression? Just curious.

zigmonty wrote:

Edit: the second part wasn't directed at you specifically SomeCallMeChris, i've just noticed more than a few people on this forum who seem to think depression is a minor problem, easily solved.

That would be because people who complain about depression tend to refer to the light and seasonal kind. Sure, every now and then you'll run into someone complaining about clinical depression, but more often than not when someone says they're depressed they just mean they're a bit under the weather. Light fixes work 99% of the time in this case.

I actually can see how AJATT can lead to depression in some people.

I'm imaging a scenario where someone takes immersion to the extreme and avoids conversations and social interactions in their native language...

it must be mentally tough for that kind of person, not being able to speak Japanese and avoiding speaking any other language...

Last edited by kitakitsune (2011 November 21, 9:55 pm)

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

Taking a quick glance, I don't see it

It? If you're looking for studies showing exercise alone is better than other treatments, they exist. All I posted were some of the thousands of articles that say exercise is a good for fighting depression.

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

That's not the same as exercise being the one-true-only solution.

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

The argument you make in your first post that you need to exercise -really hard-

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

urging people to exercise as hard as possible is misguided

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

The argument that exercise is more important than and can replace all other treatments and activities is also unfounded.

I didn't say those things.

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

I encourage you not to discount the many other factors involved in depression.

I haven't. Some other things help for some people. And exercise isn't viable for some people. But exercise is overall the best way to fight depression.

SomeCallMeChris wrote:

In any case, if exercise -were- the one true cure for depression, then your unwarranted attack on AJATT would be groundless - as long as one could work out a solitary exercise program that can be carried out while listening to Japanese, there would be no problem with the one true cure for depression and AJATT techniques coexisting.

What a silly paragraph. I never said that exercise is the one true cure for depression.

Please do not underplay the importance of exercise in fighting depression.

aphasiac wrote:

Of course moving countries will be a huge life-changing experience. But you've got to be realistic.

You've made some good points. I'd like to add to them by saying a little bit about culture shock. It's something that almost everybody experiences when they move to a different country. People who are most interested in their new surroundings and really want to fit in are affected the hardest. People who don't care, and just stick to ex-pat communities, etc are affected the least. It usually peaks between 3 and 9 months, then things start to get better. Like I said, pretty much everybody goes through this, so if you're in Japan and going through it right now, I just want you to know things are going to get better.

dizmox wrote:

The ones who, before the advent of drugs, were either suicide cases or institutionalised.

I don't think the numbers match up though if you compare the number of people on medication to historical suicide rates and population of institutions. S:

Matches up pretty well with the number of doctors who actually give a shit compared to the number who just prescribe first, ask questions later.

A huge fraction of the people on drugs probably would be able to live a life without being a suicide risk. It's as you'd expect though. When the drugs were experimental, only seriously ill people were prescribed them. Now that they're "safe", doctors are more willing to prescribe to people they'd never have done so 20 years ago.

aphasiac wrote:

dizmox wrote:

AJATT made me feel like I'm in the wrong country/society.

I guess that's what happens when you pay 0 attention to the culture around you.

dizmox wrote:

Not depressed, and I was isolated to begin with, it just made me want to emigrate lol. Should achieve that next year at least for a couple of years~

So you really believe that when you emigrate, a switch will flick in your head and you'll suddenly become non-isolated, fit in, and have an healthy activate social life?

We've had threads about this before; with the greatest respect, you've got to be careful not to set yourself unrealistic goals. Japan is a society that is not massively welcoming to outsiders; also bare in mind that most people there are not into okatu culture, so if your main interests continue to be anime and games, you're already going to be on the fringes of society once again.

Of course moving countries will be a huge life-changing experience. But you've got to be realistic.

I think you missed the mark here:

-Social life is the least of my concerns. I have a girlfriend of 2 years there and make friends with Japanese people (or anyone) just fine. Don't confuse 一匹狼 with 外れた羊.
-Who said anything about anime and games? Anyway, even people whose main interests are anime and games have friends. But I guess they're on the "fringes of society".
-For me I feel much more at home there, which is all that's important in the end. It's draining to live somewhere which doesn't complement one's interests or doesn't provide the creature comforts one's used to.

I've spent enough time in Japan to know what I'm getting myself into.

Last edited by dizmox (2011 November 22, 8:22 am)

Zgarbas wrote:

I don't want to see your face when you ask a Japanese person for directions and he'll answer in English.

I don't understand? I just smile and say thank you when this happens... calm down people.

Last edited by dizmox (2011 November 22, 8:26 am)